The FBI recently released a notice to food and agriculture sector partners, warning of the increased risk for ransomware attacks on agricultural cooperatives during critical planting and harvest seasons.
“Cyber actors may perceive cooperatives as lucrative targets with a willingness to pay due to the time sensitive role they play in agricultural production,” the agency warned.
“Although ransomware attacks against the entire farm-to-table spectrum of the (food and agriculture) sector occur on a regular basis, the number of cyberattacks against agricultural cooperatives during key seasons is notable.”
For resources related to the prevention and mitigation of ransomware, visit StopRansomware.gov. The FBI encourages suspicious or criminal activity to be reported to local FBI field offices, a list of which can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices.
